Information
Calling All Manly Men!!
We invite all those men out there (and ladies also!) to join with us in our efforts to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking. Join us on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 6:30 pm for our second annual walk, followed immediately afterwards by a community festival. All proceeds will go towards Gracehaven’s shelter which is scheduled to open July 2010.
Why Participate?
• Raise awareness around the issue of human trafficking.
• Support Gracehaven, a place of hope and healing for underage victims of sexual exploitation.
Registration will be open in the near future.
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Event Details
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Date: Saturday May 22, 2010
Time: Walk at 6:30 pm followed by festival, food and fun
Location: Xenos Christian Fellowship
Address: 1340 Community Park Dr. Columbus OH 43229
Cost: $50 Adult, $25 students (includes event t-shirt)
Registration will be open in the near future.
Who can participate: Men, women, students, families… everyone!
After The Walk: The fun doesn’t end at the end of a mile. We welcome you to stick around after the walk for food and games at our After-party Festival at Xenos Christian Fellowship.
Download Postcard (PDF) to share with friends and family.
Helpful Tips and Reminders:
- All walk participants are asked to walk in heels, regardless of whether you are a man or woman. Women, please plan on providing your own pair of heels. Men: we will have shoes available, but past participants recommend you bring your own pair of heels (that fit!) for maximum comfort.
- No costumes, please.
- We encourage you to invite friends and family to sponsor your walk through pledges. (example increments of $10 or $20 dollars) You can even get sponsors to cover the cost of your registration!
- Sponsors can send their pledges directly to Gracehaven by donating online or through the mail to: Gracehaven PO Box 541 Dublin, OH, or you can collect pledges and give a total donation to us closer to the event. Please make checks out to Gracehaven House.
- View sample email/letter to share with family and friends.
- It’s lots of fun to walk as a group with your bible study, classmates, friends, coworkers, or another organization that you are active in.
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What Am I Supporting?
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What is Gracehaven?
Gracehaven provides a safe place of hope and healing to girls under the age of 18 who have experienced sexual exploitation, commonly known as human trafficking, and raises community awareness so that girls can avoid becoming victims themselves.
What is domestic minor sex trafficking?
Domestic sex trafficking of minors is defined as sex trafficking of minors under the age of 18 within their own country. According to the TVPA, force, fraud, or coercion are not necessary for sex trafficking to occur if the victim is under the age of 18. The University of Pennsylvania Study estimated that 325,000 children in the United States are at risk of commercial exploitation and as many as 500-750 children each year are being sexually exploited in Ohio. The average age of entry into prostitution is 12 years old.
Download sex trafficking fact sheets here.
Why do we need a shelter in Ohio?
The FBI calls Toledo one of the top recruiting locations for underage prostitutes. Our proximity to Canada, and our extensive highway system add ease both to amount of transient males coming through Ohio as well as the ability to transport exploited children from one location to another. (Please note, however, that transportation does not have to be present for someone to be a victim of human trafficking.)
In all of the United States there exist only 3 shelters equipped to provide services to DMST victims, with a total of 39 beds. Compare those 39 beds with the 300,000+ number of at-risk youth in America. Gracehaven (scheduled to open in July 2010) will be the first DMST shelter in the Midwest, and be able to house up to 10 girls at a time, and provide case management for many more.
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Volunteer
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Want to get more involved? An event like this requires a lot of man power, and we appreciate all the help we can get! If you would like to help with the walk or the festival, please contact the appropriate committee. Thank you!
- Publicity Committee: Katie Talbott, ktalbott@gracehavenhouse.org
- Walk Committee: Carla Cannon, carlajdcannon@yahoo.com
- Festival Committee: Bev Delashmutt, delashmuttb@xenos.org
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Corporate Sponsors
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If your company would like to become an official corporate sponsor of this year’s event, please contact Katie Talbott at ktalbott@gracehavenhouse.org. You can download a sponsorship packet here.
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Gracehaven’s Walk A Mile event is registered with the national Walk A Mile In Her Shoes campaign. For more information, please visit http://walkamileinhershoes.org/
